Process and apparatus for treating fibrous materials



B. c. BOND 2,876,063

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING FIBROUS MATERIALS Filed Oct. 7. 1953 March 3, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Boyce BY WWW/71 B. c. BOND 2,

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING FIBROUS MATERIALS March 3, 1959 r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 7, 1953 -s I F1614.

XNVENTOR 0 yce 0.50 71! ATTORNEYS United States atntb AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING FIBROUS MATERIALS Boyce C. Bond, Villanova, Pa.

Application October 7, 1953, Serial No. 384,589

6 Claims. (Cl. 8-151) PROCESS means of which all sorts of treating liquors, e. g., dyes,

soaps, mildew-proofing agents, wetting agents, fixing agents, and the like, are forced under pressure against the face and back of the material, while the latter is traveling in a submerged position through a bath of the treating liquor.

The pressure unit described in said patent comprises a pair of spaced headers positioned within the bath and between which the fabric or other material is passed for the purpose of effecting the desired treatment. Each of these headers is provided with a plurality of apertures through which the treating liquor is forced at right angles onto the face and back of the material. Suitable means are provided for supplying the headers with treating liquor under pressure and, in addition, excessliquor-within the bath is withdrawn from the bottom thereof and recirculated to the headers for application to the material.

The apparatus and procedures described in the abovementioned patent possess a number of advantages, e. g., they makepossible thorough penetration of the material with the treating liquor, regardless'of afiinities or rates of exhaustion, and they permit the use of an unusually low volume of treating liquor. In addition, the development is extremely flexible and efiicient, particularly for short runs. Y I

However, it has now been found that, with certain modifications, which are herein described in detail, the above mentioned procedures and apparatus of U. S. Patent No. 2,441,308, can be even further improved.

Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to provide novel improvementsin the application of dyes and other treating liquors to fibrous and other materials. e

' A more specific object of" the invention is to provide improvements in the procedures and apparatus described in U. S. Patent No. 2,441,308. 7

Further objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention which is given for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention, except as itmay be defined in the appendedclaimsp .I

With the above objects in view, the present invention includes, as one feature thereof, three-dimensional appli cation of liquor to the material .to be treated therewith. This is accomplished by so modifying the procedures and apparatus of U. S. Patent No. 2,441,308 that liquor whichis to be-recirculated from the bath, to the-pressure headers for application to the material is withdrawn from the bath in a particular way, namely, from the center thereof, and in equal quantities from both sides of the material at right angles to the direction of the liquid as it is applied to the material and to the direction of travel of the material between the headers. Thethree-dimensional liquor treatment is thus effected as follows: (a) there is a vertical application of liquor onto the face and back of the material as the liquor is ejected from the headers, (b) there is also a horizontal movement of the liquor by virtue of the fact that the material tends to carry liquor with it as it travels between the headers, and (c) there is movement of liquor outwardly towards the sides of the material in a direction transverse to the travel of the material by virtue of the unique manner of withdrawing liquor from the bath according to the invention.

Accordingly, one of the features of the present invention involves modifying the procedures of U. S. Patent No. 2,441,308, which include the steps of (a) continuously passing the material through a confinedspace within a bath of said liquor, i. e., between a pair of opposed headers submerged within the bath and having perforations therein opening towards the face and back of the material, (b) forcing treating liquor under-pressure through the perforations in the headers onto the face and back of the material and at right angles to the direction of travel thereof, (:3) withdrawing excess liquor from the bath and recycling the same to the headers for application to the material by Withdrawing the treating liquor to be recycled in equal amounts from both sides of the material centrally of the bath and at right angles to the direction of travel of the material and to the direction of the liquor as it is forced onto the material.

The success of the improved process, as set forth above,

resides, at least to a substantial extent, in the discovery U. S. Patent No. 2,441,308, if the liquor recycled from the treating bath to the headers for application to the fibrous or other material is withdrawn from the bath in the manner specified above, to wit, in equal quantities from both sides of the material, centrally of the bath and at right angles to both thedirection of travel of the material and the direction in which the liquoris applied to the material. Thus, for example, in dyeing textile fabrics, it has been found that with the process of the. invention, substantially more uniform and level dyeing of the fabric can be obtained, even in those cases where mixtures of dyes of different affinity are utilized, or mixed fabrics are treated, than is "possible if the dye liquor is withdrawn from some other point, e, g., from the bottom of the bath as described in U. S. Patent No. 2,441,308, or from only one side of the fabric or from the front or rear of the bath. Apparently, these improved results are due to the fact that withdrawal of the liquor, according to the invention, i. e., normal to the liquor as applied and to the travel of the material, effects a balancing out of the distribution of treating liquor on and throughout the material with a resulting highly desirable uniformity of application. In any event, however, it is significant that equivalent results cannot be obtained by withdrawing liquor io be recycled from any other point or points in'the bath.

In addition to the novel manner of withdrawing liquor from the bath, as broadly described above, the presentinven'tion also contemplates certain improvements in the arrangement of the header perforations, as disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,441,308, by means of which it has been found possible to eject liquor from the headers, and onto the material, in the form 'of a substantially continuous film; j g

This novel arrangement of the header perforations and the manner of withdrawing liquor from the bath, according to the invention, are discussed more fully below along w th st l an the fe tu of h in sht hh ih hlvihs t use, in a unique manner, of means for filtering liquor withdrawn from the bath to the end that lint and other extraneous solid matter can be readily and easily removed ,fromithe liquor in order to avoid clogging of the header perforations. The various improvements of the invention, as broadly referred to above, are illustrated, but not limited, by the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the three- ;dimensional liquid flow referred to above;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of theappa- ,ratus of U. S. Patent No. 2,441,308, modified to include the above mentioned filtering means and three-dimensional flow arrangement of the invention;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the header plates showing the manner of positioning theheader apertures according to the invention; V

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view along the line.4-4 of Figure 2, showing a part of the filtering arrangement according to the invention, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view along the line 5--5 of Figure 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, and especially to the diagrammatic showing in Figure l, fabric 2,

from a supply roll 4 downwardly in the direction of the More specifically, the header apertures 17 are positimed, a d n to h P e e t vent n n th hahhsr illustrated in Figure 3, whe rein the apertures of the top header 10 are shown in full lines and those of the bottom header 10 are shown in broken lines. As will be seen, the apertures of each plate 16 are arranged in rows R, all of which extend diagonally across the plates at acute angles to the direction of travelof the fabric as designated by the arrow 21.

Additionally, the plates 16 are positioned with respect to each other in such a manner that the apertures in each plate are laterally ofiset from the apertures in the other plate, as shown by the lines R and R drawn through the centers of the top and bottom apertures, respectively, in Figure 3. Itwill also-be noted from Fig. 3 that the major portion of each aperture is opposed to a nonapertured part of the opposite plate and a minor portion thereof overlaps or forms a chain with the apertures positioned opposite thereto.

As will be appreciated, the above-described positioning of the apertures 17, according to the present invention, differs substantially from U. S. Patent No. 2,411,308, wherein the apertures are arranged in rows which are both parallel and at right angles to the direction of travel arrows into a bath or vat 6 filled, or partially filled, with treating liquor, e. g., a solution or dispersion of a vat dye. As the fabric 4 enters the bath it passes under a tension ,roll 8, in the particular embodiment shown in Figure l, and then between a pair of spaced pressure headers 10. The space between these headers 10 can be designated, for convenience, as the application zone 11, since actual application of dye or other treating liquor'to the fabric or other material occurs within this zone.

1 After the material2 has been fed through application Zone 11, the material is withdrawn from the bath, passed under another tension roll 12, and then drawn through a pair of squeeze rolls 14 by means of which any excess liquor is removed from the treated material. The latter rnaythen be subjected to any desired after-treatment, efgt,

ya washingoperation or fixing treatment, which may be carried out using treating apparatus similar to, or different from, that outlined above. In other words, a plurality of baths 6 with pressure headers 10 may be arranged in series to carryout a number of operations involving-the treat- ,ment of fibrous or other materials with a liquid or, if desired, only a single bath of this typemay be used in combination with other conventional treating apparatus.

shown in Figure 2, each of the headers 10 has ,mounted on its inner face a plate member16 provided ,with a plurality ofapertures 17 .which open into the application zone 11 so that liquor within headers 10 may be I'ejected onto theface and baclcof material 2. In this end, liquor under pressure is fed to eachheader through appropriate conduit 18, thebulk of the liquorsuppiied to conduits 18 being obtained bywithdrawing excess liquor from the bath and recycling the same, with-suffieient makeup liquor from a suitable source 19 to keep liquor level in the bath substantially constant. A suitab e h a n j k w n an 2. fa su pl n ea to may also be provided for the purpose off-main.- E.-. ms t e ha h 14* t e -te atur apparatus {and process as thus far described, ineluding-the use of apertured headers and the feature of withdrawingexcess liquor from the bath-and recycling 4.11. sameitothe application zone, correspond substantially .11m disclosure of my .above mentioned U. 8. Patent No. 2,441,308.. However,.according to thepresent invention, the header apertures 17 are positioned in a-unique manner which'has been found to give even better results W h ypatem.

of the fabric and the apertures in each plate are not in overlapping relationship with apertures in the opposite ,plate.

I It should also be appreciated that acceptable results are obtainable with the positioning of the apertures as described in Patent No. 2,441,308. However, as indicated, positioning of the apertures according to the present invention has been found to give significantly more uniform results under all circumstances or operating con,- ditions, regardless of the shape of the apertures, ,e. .g., they may be circular, square or rectangular slots, since, with such arrangement, it is possible to apply a substantially continuous liquor film to both the face and back of the material.

0 Another important modification of the process and apparatus of my above-mentioned Patent No. 2,441,308, according to the present invention, is concerned with the manner of withdrawing excess liquor from the bath "6 for the purpose of recycling the same to the headers 10 fol-application to the material being treated. According to said U. S. Patent No. 2,411,308, excess liquor is withdrawn from the bath through a single pipe or conduit locatedat the bottom of the bath directly beneath the headers and communicating with the suction side of an appropriate pump, the discharge end of which feeds the liquor thus withdrawn along with'make-up liquor to the pressure headers through conduits corresponding with-the ponduits 18 referred to above.

According to the present invention, it has now been found that substantially more uniform treatment of the material is obtained by withdrawing excess liquor from the bath equally from both sides of the material being treated and centrally, i. e., midway, of the bath. In this .way, the liquor is withdrawn 'at right angles to both the direction of travel of the material through the .bath and the direction of the liquor fed to the material through the apertures 17. This three-dimensional effect is illus trated diagrammatically in Figure 1, wherein the arrows X-show the direction in which the material to be treated passes through the bath, the broken lines Y represent liquor removal from the'bath in the direction of the arrows and the broken lines Z represent liquor fed to the material through apertures 17 in the direction .of the arrows.

For affecting the right angle liquor draw-off referred tofabove, a pair of oppositely disposed conduits -22 are mountedin the sides of the bath 6 in communication with the interior thereof. In order to obtain the desired high degree of uniformity of treatment, these conduits 22 must be located adjacent the bottom of the bath and centrally of the bath 6 and pressure headers 10, i. c.,

midway between the point where the material enters the bath 6 or application zone 11 and the point where the material leaves the bath or application zone. Additionally, these conduits must be of equal size and otherwise arranged so that liquor is simultaneously withdrawn from both sides of the bath in equal amounts. As will be appreciated, removal of liquor from the bath 6 is effected by joining up the conduits 22 with the suction side of suitable pump means P (Figure 1) so that liquor is withdrawn in the manner diagrammatically shown by the broken lines Y in Figure 1. Liquor thus withdrawn is pumped back to the top and bottom pressure headers as also shown diagrammatically in Figurel by the broken lines Z.

As indicated above, the invention also contemplates the provision of means for filtering the liquor being recirculated to the .pressure headers 10 in those cases where lint or other insoluble extraneous matter that might clog the apertures 17 is present. This is accomplished by positioning appropriate filtering means, broadly designated by the numeral 24 in Figure 2, in series with the draw-off conduits 22 so that liquor withdrawn from the bath by pump P is also drawn through the filtering means 24 before being fed back to the headers. a

One of the important features of the filtering arrangement of the invention is that it is not necessary to stop the passage of material through bath 6 or discontinue the filtering operations, for the purpose of cleaning out the filtering means. As a result, it is possible to operate the procedures and apparatus of the invention continu ously regardless of the amount of extraneous insolubles accumulated in the bath.

The continuous filtering feature of the invention is accomplished by mounting a pair of conventional baskettype filter units 26 and27 on each side of the bath and tandemly arrangingthese units so that they operate in parallel one after the other. In other words, one of the filter units on each side, for example, the unit 26, is cut into the liquor draw-off circuit so that liquor withdrawn from the bath passes therethrough in the direction of the arrows in Figure 2, while the units 27 are closed out of the circuit. Then, when filter units 26 need cleaning, these are replaced by units 27, the units 26 being thereafter cleaned and otherwise made ready to take the place of'units 27 when the latter need cleaning. As. shown, suitable means 28 are provided to assist in removing the filter baskets from the units for cleaning purposes and reinserting the same in the units.

For the purpose of alternately cutting the filter units 26 and 27 into and out of filtering operation, each of the conduits 22 is joined through a flanged connection 30 to a T-shaped conduit 32. The outer extremities of the -T portion of each conduit 32 open into two manifolds 34,

6 of the pump. With such an arrangement, it will be appreciated that liquor sucked by the pump P from bath 6 follows the course shown by the arrows in Figure 2, i. e., it passes through the conduits 22 on both sides of the bath, through whichever manifold 34 and filter unit 26 or 27 are in circuit (unit 26 in Figure 2) and then through conduit 46 and the branch 48 to the pump from which the liquor is discharged under pressure and fed to the headers 10 as previously described.

For the purpose of alternately switching the filter units 26 and 27 into and out of filtering operation, as desired, a valve 50 is positioned within elbow of each filter unit. As best shown in Figure 5, a rubber O-riug 52, or the like, is mounted circumferentially about valve so as to provide a fluid-tight closure between the filter unit and T-shaped conduit 44 when ring 52 rests against a seat 54 formed on the inner surface of elbow 40.

Extending downwardly from the bottom of valve 50 is a valve stem 56 which is adapted to slide within a teat portion 58 on elbow 40. When the valve 50 is seated, stem 56 projects downwardly beyond the outer extremities of teat portion 58, as shown in Figure 5. On the other hand, when the valve is raised, in the manner hereinafter described, stem 56 is pulled completely within elbow 40 and teat portion 58. However, the lower end thereof maintains its sliding engagement with teat portion 58, thereby insuring proper seating of valve 50 on seat 54 when the valve is lowered.

As best shown in Figure 5, valve stem 56 carries a washer 60, the bottom side of which is contacted by a yoke 62 fixed to a spindle 64. The latter is rotatably mounted in elbow 40 by means of bushings 66 so that, by rotating the spindle, yoke 62 is raised upwardly to unseat valve 50 and place the filter unit in communication with the liquor draw-off conduit 22 and the suction side of the pump. It will be appreciated, however, that when yoke 62 is in a horizontal vposition or lowered, valve 50 remains seated and thus prevents liquor from passing each of which connects with one of the filter units 26 and 27 through a flanged connecting conduit 36. Each of the manifolds 34 has positioned therein a flutter valve (not shown) of any conventional type for the purpose of preventing any surge of liquor into the filter unit associated therewith when the latter is cut from the circuit. As an added precaution against loss of liquor by overflow of the units as they are placed into non-filtering position, the units are positioned high enough with respect to the bath 6 that the liquor level L in the bath (see Figure 2) is somewhat below the top of the filter units. The liquor level in the bath, incidentally, should be sufficiently high to immerse the pressure headers or at least cover the application zone 11 so as to exclude air from the material as it is treated.

The bottom of each filter unit empties into conically shaped portions 38 which, in turn, open into an elbow 40 welded or otherwise aflixed thereto. The elbow 40 of each unit is connected through appropriate flange members 42 to the T-shaped end 44 of a conduit 46 positioned between the units 26 and 27. This conduit 46 is provided with a branch 48 leading to the suction side through the filter unit.

In order that the valves 50 in the oppositely disposed filter units 26 can be simultaneously raised while the valves in units 27 are kept closed, or vice versa, spindle 64 is extended outwardly beyond elbow 40 and has another yoke 68 rigidly afiixed thereto. In addition, two cross bars 70 are provided, one adjacent each of the pairs of filter units 26 and 27. Each end of these cross bars 70 is positioned above, and pivotally connected by means of suitable linkage 72 with, the external yoke 68 of the adjacent filter unit. These cross bars 70 are joined together by means of an operating rod 74 rigidly connected thereto and rotatably mounted, for example, in supports 76 affixed to the conduit 46.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing, rotation of the operating-rod 74 causes the cross bars 70 to pivot thereby raising one end thereof and lowering the other. The filter units attached to the raised ends of each cross bar will thus be placed in filtering position, since the yokes 68 and 62 of these units will unseat the valve 50. On the other hand, the filter units attached to the lowered ends of cross bars 70 are in non-filtering position since the valves 50 of these units are seated and remain so until the operating rod 74 is turned in the opposite direction so as to raise the ends of the cross bars 70 associated therewith and lower the opposite ends thereof. Any hand or automatically operated means may be provided for rotating rod 74, as for example, an automatical- 1y operated air cylinder 78 appropriately connected to rod 74 by suitable linking means 80 as shown in Figure 2.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing description, the filter units 26 and 27 can be alternately cut into filtering position, or into non-filtering position for cleaning purposes, without the necessity of stopping the filtering operation or the treatment of the material. This feature, therefore, as well as the additional features of the invention, to wit, the unique positioning of the header apertures and the right angle liquor draw-oft by means of which more uniform liquor application is obtained, represent significant and highly advantageous modifications of the process and apparatus shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,441,308.

As will be appreciated, the invention, as described herein, is not limited to the treatment of any particular material or the use of specific treating liquors. Thus, fibrous materials, such as all types of fabrics, yarns and fibers of natural or synthetic origin, e. g., cotton, wool, rayon, nylon, Dacron, or paper, can be dyed, scoured or subjected to any other liquid with the improved process and apparatus of the invention on a continuous basis with excellent results. Likewise, non-fibrous materials, e. g.,.sheets of rubber or resins can be treated with advantage according to the invention. However, the inven tion is of especial advantage in dyeing textile fabrics since substantially all dyestufifs, including, for example,

soluble vat, direct, acid, sulfur, acetate and naphthol,-can

be easily applied in a remarkably uniform manner, using the various features of the present invention singly or in combination.

Various modifications can be made in the invention as described herein without deviating from the scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a process for treating a material in sheet form with a treating liquor wherein (1) said material is passed through a confined space within a bath of said liquor, (2) oppositely directed streams of liquor are simultaneously applied in said confined space to opposed surfaces of said material, the direction of application being normal to the direction in which said material is passed through said space and (3) liquor is withdrawn from said bath and fed to said confined space for application to said material, the improvement which comprises withdrawing the liquor equally in opposite directions from opposite sides of said confined space of the bath in a direction which is normal to both the direction of travel of 'said material through said confined space and the direction of said oppositely directed liquor streams, said liquor withdrawal being effected from opposed points located midway between the point where said material enters said space and the point where said material leaves said space.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said material is a continuous strip of fibrous material and the treating liquor is a dyeing liquor.

' 3..A process as claimed in claim 1, including the further improvement of continuously filtering the liquor withdrawn from the bath before feeding the same back to said confined zone. 7

4. Apparatus for treating a material in sheet form with a treating liquor comprising a vat'for said liquor,

a pair of oppositely disposed, spaced headers within said vat forming an application zone therein, means for continuously passing material through said vat and said ap' plication zone, means for feeding liquor under pressure to said headers and apertures in said headers opening into said application zone whereby liquor fed to said headers is ejected through said apertures onto opposed sides of material within the application zone, said header apertures being arranged in rows which are diagonal to the direction of travel of material passing through said zone with the apertures in one header being laterally offset from the apertures in the other header so that a major part of each aperture opposes a non-apertured'portion in the header opposed thereto and a minor part of each aperture overlaps an aperture in the header opposed thereto.

5. Apparatus for the liquid treatment of a material in sheet form which comprises a vat for said treating liquid, said vat having a pair of side walls, a pair of oppositely disposed headers within said vat, said headers being spaced to form a liquid application zone in said vat, means for continuously passing said material through said application zone lengthwise of said side walls, means for feeding liquid under pressure to both of said headers, apertures in said headers opening into said application zone whereby liquid fed to said headers is applied onto opposite sides of said material within said application zone, a pair of opposed draw-off conduits positioned in said side walls for withdrawing liquid equally from opposite sides of said vat in a direction normal to both the direction of liquid application and the direction in which said material is passed through said vat, said conduits being operatively associated with the means for feeding liquid to said headers whereby liquid withdrawn from said vat through said conduits may be recyc'ledto said headers.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said conduits are positioned adjacent the bottom of said vat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A PROCES FOR TREATING A MATERIAL IN SHEET FORM WITH A TREATING LIQUOR WHEREIN (1) SAID MATERIAL IS PASSED THROUGH A CONFINED SPACE WITHIN A BATH OF SAID LIQUOR, (2) OPPOSITELY DIRECTED STREAMS OF LIQUOR ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLIED IN SAID CONFINED SPACE TO OPPOSED SURFACES OF SAID MATERIAL, THE DIRECTION OF APPLICATION BEING NORMAL TO THE DIRECTION IN WHICH SAID MATERIAL IS PASSED THROUGH SAID SPACE AND (3) LIQUOR IS WITHDRAWN FROM SAID BATH AND FED TO SAID CONFINED SPACE FOR APPLICATION TO SAID MATERIAL, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES WITHDRAWING THE LIQUOR EQUALLY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM 